Projector for game apparatus



July 9, 1940. J. s. POPPER 2,207,551

PROJECTOR FOR GAME APPARATUS Filed Aug. 2, 1959 INVENTOR ATTORNE Patented July 9, 19,40

[UNITED 4STATES PATENT OFFICE PROJECTOR FOR GAME APPARATUS Julius S. Popper, Elizabeth, N. J. Application August 2, 1939, Serial No. 287,935

I 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-129) I This invention relates to game apparatus, and more particularly to game apparatus of a portable or miniature type, such, for instance, as

' shuiiieboard, which is adapted to be used in the '5 home, the club and various places of amusement.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a portable game-board device on which the game of shuleboard or the like may be played with a maximum degree of skill and accuracy.

Another object is to provide a game of the above-mentioned class with sighting mechanism whereby the playing pieces or disks may be propelled by a. player along the surface of the gameboard in a iixed or predetermined direction.

Another object is to provide locking means to retain the cue or projector, by which the playing disks are propelled along the board, in retracted position or released to operated position.

2'6" These and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, on which one form of the improved device is illustrated.

Referring to the drawing,

Figure 1 is a plan View, partly broken away, showing the actuating or propelling cue in retracted position. i

Fig.2 is a perspective View of the improved de- Fig. 3`is a broken away sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. l, showing cam and associated mechanism by which the cue may be held in retracted position or released to operating posi- 351 tion. u

Figs. 4 and 5 are elevational views showing modifications of sights with which the apparatus is equipped for more accurately adjusting the cue, and

4d Fig. 6 is a broken section taken on the line B-G of Fig. l looking in vdirection of the arrows and showing the ca-m locking and associated mechanism.

In the drawing, the reference numeral 5 designates a table or a casing having longitudinal side walls and transverse end walls connected therewith in accordance with the usual cabinet construction. This table or casing may be mounted on legs or supported on any suitable base. A 50 miniature shuiiieboard court 6, on which the game is played, extends lengthwise of the table. This court on which the game is played may be provided at each vend with markings such as scoremarkings about which extend triangular boun- 55 da-ry ,lines `v(not shown) in accordance with the usual regulation shuiileboard court. A space is provided between the edges of the court 6 and the walls, not shown, of the table or casing 5, which walls extend a suicient distance upwardly from the surface .of the court. These walls provide a 5"?- barrier whereby the playing-pieces or flat disks i are prevented from displacement from the casing when they a-re projected by a cue 8 along the surface of the court from either of its ends.

A transversely eXtendingchannel-plate 9 is po- I02 sitioned near each end of the table or casing 5, as more clearly shown in Fig. 1. The plate 9 provides a space to receive a flat base II) of a carriage on which the cue 8 is mounted, as shown Y, in Figs. 1 and 2. This base has a somewhat arculfli ate-shaped rear portion. and a somewhat semicircular front portion. This base is adapted to be inserted beneath the turned over flanges of the plate 9, and lies in such position therein that the accidental dislodgement of the base is pre- 2'0 vented. In this position the base may be readily rotated with its periphery bearing against the inner edges of the anges .of the plate 9, and it may be also moved in a transverse direction within the connes of these flanges across the end of the 2"5- table. l/Vhen the base is thus moved, the cuecarrying carriage a-nd its component parts will, of course, partake of such movement.

A'supporting member II is carried in an inclined position on the base Ill and is provided di with a pair of forwardly extending lugs I2 to which a plate I3 is pivotally connected. This plate is of substantially rectangular formation and a guide-channel I4 is formed therein.l This guide-channel is just wide enough to receive a disk-engaging end of the cue 8 so that when the cue is pulled back in the channel and against the resistance of the spring I6, the edges of said end will slidingly enga-gewith the vertical flanges of the guide-channel. When the cue is released, its f?- disk-engaging end will be guided by the channel anges and will project disk 'I across the surface of the game-board 6 in the desired direction, which direction will be more accurately gauged by sighting means, which will be presently described. A scale I8 is provided on each of the surfaces of the plate adjacent the guide-channel for the purpose of more definitely adjusting the tension on the cue in its pulled-back position, and indicators I9, slidingly movable in slots through the plate, co-operate with the scale in this respect in an obvious manner.

The cue, or projecting device 8, is pivotally carried by the supporting plate I3 and includes a cylindrical plunger rod 20 having at one end a 55;;

head ZI of larger diameter than the rod. This head is provided at its outer end with the diskengaging surface I5, previously referred to, and this end has an arcuate surface to fit against the periphery of the disk 1. The coil or actuating spring I6, previously referred to, surrounds part of the rod, and abuts at one end a collar adjacent the enlarged head 2i and at the other end abuts a socket or seat at one end of a substantially U-shaped bracket 22. This bracket is pivotally connected by its parallel depending lugs 23, 23 to the supporting member II, and the cylindrical rod extends through and slidingly engages alined openings in the upwardly extending arms of this bracket. The outer end of the rod 20, opposite the end ZI, is provided with a manipulating or gripping portion 2li, and an additional coil spring or snubber 25 surrounds the rod in the space between. one end of the bracket 22 and the spring stop and grip-end 24. The portion 24 also acts as a stop for one end of the spring 25, and a stop for the opposite or inner end of the spring is provided by a socket on the end of the bracket 22.

Sighting means are provided for the projector so that it may propel a disk along the game board with a maximum amount of accuracy. This sighting means includes a front sight 26 which is secured in any suitable manner to the mid-point of the diskengaging end 2iy of the cue and in. alinement with its longitudinal axis. This sight may be of the character which is used with rines and the like. The other or rear sight 2l' comprises a metal plate of flat and elongated formation in which a narrow slot 28 is cut along vertical axis. This slot extends from the top of the sight to a point near an opening 29. An additional opening of smaller circumference is provided through the sight at a point beneath the opening 29. A screw 3B passes through this opening and also through a corresponding opening in the forward and upwardly extending arm of the bracket 22, securely attaching these members together. The sight 2l is also provided at its vertical edges with rounded anges which embrace the edges of the bracket arm and assist in holding the sight in rigid position. The edges of the sight which continue upwardly beyond the flanges may be somewhat tapered. The sights 2l' and 21", shown in Figs. 4 and 5, respectively, are modifications of the sight 2l shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3. The slots or peep openings in the various sights extend perpendicularly from the longitudinal axis of the cue 3. When the front sight is in alinement with the rear sight, and can be observed through the slot in the latter sight, a Very accurate and definite aim is assured when the disk is propelled along the game-board by the cue under this condition.

Locking means which form a part of this in- Vention are provided to retain. the spring actuated cue in retracted position and also to release the cue when it is desired to propel a disk along the game-board. The elements included in this feature comprise a iiat leaf spring 3l, which is secured at one end to the top surface of the bracket 22. The free end of this spring curves upwardly and has a somewhat semicircular cutaway portion therein, which, under pressure, engages rod 22, as will presently appear. 'I'he parallel depending lugs 23, 23 (Fig. 6) have an interconnecting pin 32 upon which this supporting member I I is mounted and a cam member 33 is mounted in an intermediate position o-n this pin. A slot is cut through the supporting member I I and also through the bottom of the bracket 22 to permit the movement of the teeth carried by the cam member. The cam member is rotated by a linger piece 34 and in one position, as indicated in Fig. 6, the tooth 35 is rotated in a clockwise direction through the slot in the bracket 22 and is caused to engagein lclamping relation with the spring 3l and raises it sothat its semi-circular portion bears against the cylindrical rod 22 and securely locks the cue in any selected and retracted position. Two release the cue the nger piece is snapped back in. a direction opposite to that just described. It vwill be a i noted that the spring 3l is independently mountv ed and does not interfere with the free movement of the cue, ii this movement is so desired.

To manipulate the cue, the enlarged head 2l terminating in the disk-engaging end I5 may be grasped, and the cylindrical rod may be pushed outwardly against the compression of the spring I6, or, if desired, the finger-grip 24 may be pulled outwardly so that the spring I6 is compressed. The movement of the cue in the direction indicated is continued until the disk-engaging head registers with the desired graduation or indi-l cator on the scale I8, to give the required tension to the cue. When the head or grip end 24 is released, the spring IS projects the end I5 of the rod or cue into Contact with the disk-playing weight 'I at an end of the game-board. The spring 25 acts as a shock absorber and overcomes any tendency of the cue to become'deilected by concussion when released. Proper aim is thusl assured so that the disk may be propelled to the desired point. spring-actuated rod or cue 8 to the disk causes it to slide o-n the surface of the court or gameboard S to the end opposite from which it was The impulse transmitted bythe propelled. The disk may be thus moved into the desired position on the sco-re markings or it mayV be directed against other disks which may been the court to cause their dislodgment.

The sighting apparatus co-operates with the guide channel in propelling the disks along they and the operation of the finger piece in the `op" posite direction 'permits the release of the rod,

which causes the cue to move under the tension exerted by the spring I6 to propel the disk along the game-board.

While the arrangements of this invention have been illustrated as embodied in a specific form which has been deemed desirable, it will be understood that they are capable of embodiment in many and widely varied forms without departing from the spirit of the invention as dened in the appended claim.

What is claimed is: l

A projector for use in playing games of amusement of the kind in which playing disks may be slidingly propelled upon a game board having a flat surface, said projector including a cue comprising a rod to engage and propel the disks longitudinally of said board, a bracket in which the rod is reciprocally mounted,` a front sight 75C.

carried by the cue, a rear sight carried by the bracket in alinement With the front sight so that a player may predetermine the direction in which a disk will be propelled, an actuating spring carried by the rod for imparting an impulse thereto to propel a disk along the surface of the game board, means to retain the cue in retracted position, and means to release the cue to propel a disk under the impulse of said spring in the direction indicated by the alined front and rear sights. v

J ULIUS S. POPPER. 

